The Driffield Navigation
The Driffield navigation is to be found in the East riding of Yorkshire, passing through the heart of the Holderness plain to the Market town of Driffield, which is described as the “Capital of the Wolds”.
The river Hull has long been established as a means of transport, going back into the mists of time, so with development of canals it was not long before local communities started to consider exploiting it further by building canals to it, Great Driffield in particular was a growing town in need of a better transport system.
An act of Parliament in 1767 provided for amproving the navigation of the Hull and extending the navigation to Great Driffield, the navigation becoming an amenity of the townwith commissioners duly appointed to oversee its management: Initially borrowing money for the construction and later charging Tolls both to repay the loan and service the canal.
The original canal contained 4 locks capable of carrying 62’ x 24’ 6” craft known as “Driffield Keels” capable of carrying 100 tons but restricted to 70ton in the canal due to draft restrictions. The initial uptake of shipping was not up to expectaions, partly due to silting in the canal and partly due to restictions imposed by the height of the Hull bridge near Ticton, though these problems had been overcome by 1805, with the locks modified and the Hull bridge rebuilt to accommodate more traffic and as a result at steady and successful trade was established, which lasted past the establishment of local railways until about 1870 when traffic started to diminish, c until 1931 when profits were down to £11 / yr.
Consequently with no funds for maintenance the navigation fell into decline, the last commercial craft being in 1951.
New hope was created in 1968 with the establishment of the Driffield Navigation Amenities Association which was founded to restore the canal, the Trustees of the newly formed Driffield Navigation Trust formed at the same time and recognised by the charities commissionbecame the new commissioners of the Navigation .... the former ones having past on to better things.
The two organisations worked together with a small army of enthusiastic volunteers who first help keep the existing structures working and then set about restoring and replacing locks and other structures as necessary.
Obstacles to the restoration were fixed bridges placed across the navigation during its period of redundancy, which are gradually being replaced with movable bridges as legislation and funding allow.
Restoration is now well under way.